Yellow-legged Gull - Larus michahellis
Adults
Adult: Undisclosed, Essex - 1st August 2009
The mirrors have all been worn off leaving nothing but a ghosting on the underside of P 10. The primaries have faded and look dullish brown whilst the upper-parts are mixture of newer fresher clean grey and faded dingier grey. The legs are subdued yellow in colour.
Adult: Undisclosed, Essex - 1st August 2009
Same bird as in the immediately immediately above.
Adult: Undisclosed, Essex - 15th August 2009
Most of the inner primaries have been dropped revealing the grey bases to the outer primaries.
The bill is heavy, thickset with blunt tip and deep Gonydeal expansion.
The orbital ring is bright red and the legs bright yellow.
The general appearance is still of a long winged gull, this changes during moult when the outer most primaries are eventually dropped.
Adult: Undisclosed, Essex - 29th August 2009
Note that the following two images are of same bird as pictured here. See how different light conditions and backgrounds can have an affect on the upper-part colouration and tone. Here the bird is in bright sunlight with a an almost orange background affording a mid-dark grey tone.
The bill is heavy and bright with a large red spot on the Gonys, creeping onto the upper mandible. The Gonydeal angle is acute and the bill tip blunt giving a bulbous tipped affect.
The legs are clearly mustard yellow. The eye is pale yellow with a bright red orbital ring. Although the primaries are in mid moult there is still a long winged impression, given that the outer most primaries have not yet been shed.
Adult: Undisclosed, Essex - 29th August 2009
Note this is the same bird as above and below. Compared with the above and the below this image is in bright sunlight but at a slightly different angle to that above, the affect is a slightly less dark appearance.
Adult: Undisclosed, Essex - 29th August 2009
Note same bird as the two previous images. Here the shot was taken in completely overcast conditions supplying a more neutral, flat light. The background is also lighter that those above. The result is completely different from that above. The upper-part tone now has taken on a 'bluish' quality and is different to the tones above. Identified clearly as the same bird due to the pattern on the outer primaries alone.
Adult: Undisclosed, Essex - 29th August 2009
Note same bird as the in the previous three images. Here we can see the old pale and almost translucent secondaries, missing the outermost. The inner primaries through to P7 are fresh with P7 still growing. P9 and P10 are still old feathers, faded and worn though note the pattern on P9. Interestingly P8 is just visible beneath the primary coverts, the short white tipped feather. Also note the missing outer greater primary coverts.
Adult: Undisclosed, Essex - 29th August 2009
This bird is showing a fair amount of pencil line head streaking which emphasises the pale eye. The primaries are in mid transition in changing from old to new.
Adult: Undisclosed, Essex - 29th August 2009
Another bird with fairly heavy head streaking though here, compared with the bird above, the outermost primaries have been dropped giving the bird a blunter ended appearance.
Adult: Undisclosed, Essex - 29th August 2009
Although this bird is sitting down comparison can be made with the Herring Gull behind it.
It has a larger squarer head with peak at the rear crown, fine pencil line streaking around the head and the upper-part tone is distinctly darker.
Adult: Undisclosed, Essex - 29th August 2009
This is a big bird with large and deep bill, paler at the basal half. It has heavy head streaking and is yet to drop its outer most primaries.
Note the typically square head shape compared with Caspian and Herring Gull.
Adult: Undisclosed, Essex - 9th January 2010
The overcast and wintery conditions has a different affect on this birds upper-part tone compared with the previous bird. The bird above is blue-grey whilst the conditions for this bird make it appear simply dark grey.
There is however no doubting the identification, it certainly isn't a yellow-legged Herring Gull or a Lesser Black-backed Gull.
The bill and legs are both bright yellow; the eye is very pale with obvious bright red orbital ring; the head, neck and under-parts and clean snowy white.
The white tertial crescent is rather broad on this bird.
Tips to P10-P6 have large white tips, appearing as triangles and there is a large white mirror on the underside of P10.
A very smart looking bird.
Yellow-legged Gull, Adult, Essex 4th September 2010
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Adult: Undisclosed, Essex - 11th September 2010
Compared with the previous bird this individual has dropped its outermost primaries giving it a rather 'blunt' end appearance.
It has also attained head streaking which is perhaps at the upper most extreme for a michahellis.
Adult: Undisclosed, Essex - 29th January 2011
By the end of January this bird is already completely unmarked clean white on the head. The head shape is typical michahellis in being rather square with a peak on the forecrown.
The eye is pale yellow; the bill is bright yellow with large red spot and dark marks on on both the upper and lower mandibles.
Note the darker grey upper-parts, long primary project and yellow legs.
Adult: Undisclosed location, Essex - 23rd July 2011
This adult is worn as can be seen by the remnant white tips to the primaries, the tatty appearance to the upper park feathers and the 'shaggy' hind neck.
Typical structure and build however remain.
Adult: Undisclosed, Essex - 5th November 2011
Fairly extensive streaking on the head and neck is typical for the time of year. Note that the streaking is fine pale grey pencil lines and isn't blotched as on Herring Gull.
The lores and base of the bill are unmarked which is also typical of Yellow-legged Gull over Herring.
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WINTER BIRDS
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